2009 Lexus LS Owner Complaints

This particular model 2009 Lexus LS460 apparently has an issue with the ABS system module (ABS Brake pump actuator) and when it fails it is like a domino effect not to mention having to reprogram the cars whole computer system all over again, I researched this issue and found that the issue is rampant with this year and model, not only is it expensive to fix (4k) the part alone is over 1k. If the system was to fail while driving it would pose a significant danger to myself and others as I would not be able to brake, or if I drive in wet weather the system could fail on me again. Everyone that owns this model has the same issue. once it happens it is said that it will happen every 30000 miles or so. I bought the car in 2024; I hadn't even had it a year before the system failed and I have not been able to drive the car since March 2025. I think issues involving the cars ABS should automatically be a recall. Now I feel like I am stuck with a car payment for a car I can't even drive because the brake system failed, and will continue to fail over and over, even if I could drive it I would be scared to. If the car senses and accident or spinout and the abs fails and locks up that's dangerous. I can't afford to fix this issue multiple times no one should have to go through this when buying a car as luxury and expensive as Lexus is. The car is too old for the lemon law but I bought a lemon, as big as this issue is this should have been a recall. Please help...

NHTSA ID

11690008

Incident

Mar 7, 2025

The battery died and we have replaced it with 3 new batteries and something keeps draining the battery. We have had multiple mechanics come and try to figure out what is going on with it, checked the alternator, checked every fuse, checked everything and no one can figure it out

NHTSA ID

11661206

Incident

May 4, 2023

My wife was driving, we got check engine & VSC sign, we checked with car mechanic, who asked us to take to dealer, they diagnosed & fixed some parts & charged us around 1000.00 $, Next day she drove around 6 miles, she was ready to enter highway sign came, stop car immediately at safe place, she called dealer who advised to bring car back, she took car back ,they diagnosed again & told us it will cost 4042.11 to replace brake actuator & brake pump,we searched that this was manufacturing defect, we contacted Lexus corporate office, they said that it factory defect only till 2018 & declined to fix,they said they send us letter,we never received any letter.Car mileage is around 120,000 only,my wife narrowly escaped accident, Is not dealer responsible to contact customers by phone or E mail for safety issues ,moreover we took car to dealer multiple times for not staring ,they fixed battery all the time , we also got car maintainece service from the dealer many times ,was not it their responsibility to make us aware for this defect & fix? they should have diagnosed this problem when we took car for VSC & engine check sign? Pleas investigate so no body else suffers or dies in an accident, Thanks

NHTSA ID

11464119

Incident

May 4, 2022

Brake shake violently when applied makes loud noises does this most times car has new brakes and rotors mechanic thinks it’s the brake actuator makes car unsafe to drive

NHTSA ID

11451661

Incident

Feb 4, 2022

I was driving and my steering locked up and my check VSC light came on, and check power steering system came on and told me to check with dealer.If someone can please contact me ASAP would be wonderful and appreciated..Thank you

NHTSA ID

11445540

Incident

Dec 30, 2021

Mileage

16,000 mi

DASHBOARD IS STICKY/TACKY. DASHBOARD IS ALSO VERY SHINY AND MAKE IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE IN SUNLIGHT. WHICH IS VERY UNSAFE

NHTSA ID

11415623

Incident

Mar 30, 2021

WHEN DRIVING, SLOWING TO MAKE A TURN, PUTTING FOOT BACK ON GAS....FEELS EITHER LIKE GEAR SLIPPING OR FUEL INJECTION SLIP. MAKES QUICK CATCH AND JUMPS. ALSO, WHEN COMING TO STOP, FEELS LIKE STALLING. VERY SCARY.

NHTSA ID

11364249

Incident

Sep 8, 2020

Mileage

58,000 mi

I PURCHASED MY 2009 LS460 IN 2017 AT LEXUS OF HUNTSVILLE, AL WITH 115K MILES. IT BEGAN HAVING POOR ACCELERATION 1 MONTH AFTER I PURCHASED IT. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALER AND EXPRESSED MY CONCERN. THEY ASKED ME TO START USING PREMIUM GAS FORM THE SAME STATION. NOTHING CHANGED AND 3MO LATTER I MOVED TO INDIANAPOLIS AND HAD MY LEXUS SERVICED AT TOM WOOD LEXUS OF INDIANAPOLIS. I ASKED THEM TO DO A FULL DIAGNOSTIC FOR REPAIRING THE NOW DANGEROUSLY LOW ACCELERATION. TOM WOOD CHANGED AND CHECKED FUEL FILTER FUEL LINES FUEL INJECTORS AIR INTAKE MASS AIRFLOW AIR FILTER REFLASHED ECM COST ME 2 SEPARATE VISITS, 10+ DAYS IN A LOANER VEHICLE AND $800+ AND THE ISSUE BEHIND WHAT WAS CAUSING THE LOW ACCELERATION WAS NEVER FOUND. SO I FILED MY FIRST COMPLAINT CASE WITH LEXUS CORPORATE AND THEY DENIED MY CLAIM IN THAT IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER THEIR POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. DESPITE MY EFFORT TO SIMPLY REQUEST AND STATE THAT I PURCHASED MY LEXUS AT A LEXUS DEALER AND IT HAS BEEN MAINTAINED BY A LEXUS DEALER. I OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO RELY ON LEXUS (ESPECIALLY AN LS ON OF THEIR HIGH END DESIGNS) TO BE OF REASONABLE QUALITY, FIT FOR SAFE USE AS AN AUTOMOBILE. THE LIABILITY FOR DEFECTS OF THE ENGINEERING OF THE INTERNAL MECHANICS AND ANY FUTURE WRECKS OR INJURIES CAUSED BY THE ENGINEERING DEFECT IS LEXUS' LIABILITY. JUST TRYING TO HAVE A SAFE VEHICLE FOR MY FAMILY. WELL THAT GOT ME NOWHERE WITH LEXUS. NOW MY JOB HAS ME LINING IN LOUISIANA AND I TRIED A SECOND TIME AND TOOK MY LS460 TO PRICE LEBLANC LEXUS OF BATON ROUGE. THEIR SERVICE TEAM WAS FANTASTIC AND THEIR TECH LET ME KNOW THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH LEXUS AND THAT I'D NEED TO REPLACE ALL CYLINDER HEADS AND VALUES. TOTAL COST BEING $13-15K. THAT IS MORE THAN THE VALUE OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE FILED A SECOND COMPLAINT AND REPAIR REQUEST WITH LEXUS CORPORATE AND AM BEING TOLD THE SAME LINE AS BEFORE. NOT THEIR PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

11322245

Incident

Apr 20, 2020

Mileage

115,000 mi

THE SAFETY ISSUE OUR CAR HAS IS DELAYED ACCELERATION. THIS IS A VERY CONCERNING SAFETY HAZARD. AFTER READING MANY ONLINE FORUMS, THERE ARE MANY OTHER '09 LS OWNERS EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. WE HAVE BROUGHT OUR CAR TO THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP A FEW TIMES AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO PROPERLY FIX OR EVEN DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE. THERE ARE NO LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD INDICATING WHERE THE PROBLEM LIES. ALL WE HAVE BEEN TOLD IS THAT IT'S IN THE KNOCK SENSOR. WE HAVE ONLY BEEN TOLD THAT LEXUS HAS DESIGNED THE KNOCK SENSOR IN SUCH A WAY THAT A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OR CODE WILL NOT BE GIVEN. THIS IS NOT GOOD FOR US AS THE CUSTOMER. WE BELIEVE THIS IS A URGENT RECALL PROBLEM THAT LEXUS MUST OWN AND REPAIR. THIS IS A MAYOR SAFETY HAZARD THAT HAS POTENTIAL TO PUT THE LIVES OF MY FAMILY OR OTHERS AT STAKE.

NHTSA ID

11246415

Incident

Nov 1, 2018

SEVERAL INTERIOR PARTS ARE MELTING. LEXUS IS AWARE AND AUTHORIZED A REPAIR IN CERTAIN MODELS, BUT THEY HAVE NOT ISSUED A RECALL TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. I NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE IN FORCING THE ISSUE. FINALLY, I JUST REMEMBERED TO GOOGLE THIS TODAY AND WAS VERY SURPRISED BY WHAT I DISCOVERED.

NHTSA ID

10862728

Incident

May 3, 2016

Mileage

75,540 mi

2009 LEXUS LS 460 AWD THE CAR LOST POWER UPON ACCELERATION AFTER THE 90,000 MILE SERVICE. I BROUGHT IT BACK TO DEALER (LEXUS OF NAPERVILLE) THEY SAID THAT THEY REFLASHED THE CONTROLLER. THE CAR LOST PERFORMANCE BUT DID NOT LOOSE POWER UNTIL THE NEXT OIL CHANGE. AT 94000 MILES A FEW DAYS AFTER SERVICE THE CAR LOST POWER ON ACCELERATION AGAIN, I BROUGHT IT BACK TO DEALER AT WHICH TIME THEY REBUILT THE TOP OF THE ENGINE FOR A COST OF $11,500.00 UNDER WARRANTY. THE CAR RAN FINE UNTIL THE NEXT SERVICE ON 7/03/14. WHEN I LEFT THE DEALER ON THE WAY HOME I MADE A LEGAL RIGHT TURN ON RED AND PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATE THEN LOSS ALL POWER LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER AND AWAY FROM THE SEMI THAT WAS ABOUT TO RUN ME OVER. I CALLED THE DEALER AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED, THEY BROUGHT A LOANER AND TOOK MY CAR FOR SERVICE. AFTER THREE WEEKS THEY TOLD ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS CONFIRMED AND THAT LEXUS IS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE KNOCK SENSOR ON THAT PARTICULAR ENGINE AND IT WILL RANDOMLY RETARD THE TIMING RESULTING IN A LOSS OF POWER. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE A FIX AT THIS TIME AND THAT THE CAR IS SAFE TO DRIVE MY CAR AND THEY WILL TELL ME WHEN I SHOULD BRING IT BACK. I LEFT THE CAR AT THE DEALER AND WALKED HOME BECAUSE I BELIEVED THAT IF I WOULD HAVE ACCEPTED THE CAR AND DRIVEN IT KNOWING THAT IT HAD THAT DEFECT AND BECAME INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT I WOULD BE AS MUCH TO BLAME AS LEXUS. I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM IN MY 2007 LS460 BUT WAS TOLD THEY HAD THE PROBLEM FIXED IN THE 2009 THAT I PURCHASED. I WAS ALSO TOLD THEY HAD A FEW OTHERS AT THE DEALERSHIP WITH SAME PROBLEM. *JS

NHTSA ID

10616667

Incident

Dec 3, 2013

Mileage

89,000 mi

AFTER AN OIL CHANGE, USING FULLY SYNTHETIC OIL PER STERLING MCCALL LEXUS OF HOUSTON, THE LEXUS LS460 SHOWS HESITATION IN ACCELERATION. AT LOCAL ROAD AND AT SPEED OF 15 MPH, I TRIED TO ACCELERATE AND PUSHED GAS PEDAL TO FLOOR, THE ENGINE RPM REACHED MORE THAN 5000 BUT THE CAR DID NOT ACCELERATE AS EXPECTED. WHILE IN THEORY THE ENGINE POWER REACHES PEAK OF 386 HORSE POWER AT 4200 RPM. IN ONE WORD, THE ACCELERATION IS NOT LINEAR TO THE PUSH ON GAS PEDAL AT ALL. FEELS LIKE THE ENGINE POWER DOES NOT CORRESPONDS TO THE GAS PEDAL TRAVEL DISTANCE, AS IT SHOULD. AND IN CRITICAL SITUATIONS, THIS FAILURE TO ACCELERATE AS IT SHOULD COULD CAUSE PROBLEM OR ACCIDENTS. A GOOGLE SEARCH SHOWS THAT MANY OTHER OWNERS HAVE THE SAME EXPERIENCE. MAYBE LEXUS SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS AND HELP FIX THE PROBLEM. THANKS, *TR

NHTSA ID

10547734

Incident

Oct 11, 2013

Mileage

32,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 LEXUS LS. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE CONTACT NOTICED THERE WAS FLUID LEAKING FROM THE FRONT END. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND THE TECHNICIANS STATED THE TRANSMISSION HAD A HOLE ON THE SIDE WALL THAT ALLOWED TRANSMISSION FLUID TO LEAK. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200.

NHTSA ID

10424347

Incident

Jul 25, 2009

Mileage

200 mi